Only God Can Judge Me Now
by arielx
Summary: It's five years after they left Hogwarts for the last time, and the war with Voldemort is drawing to a close. Hermione stands in court, defending the one man that loved her all those years ago, and now she has to fight to save his soul. Dr/Hr One Shot


**What If?**

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"Draco Xavier Malfoy, you have been accused of the most heinous crimes known to the wizarding world. Four counts of muggle torture and slaughter, and twelve counts of using the unforgivable curses.  How do you plea?"

Hermione Granger watched as her former classmate just looked straight ahead, just as arrogant, just as proud, as when they were eleven.  In fact, it's been exactly twenty two years since they were eleven, making their way to Hogwarts for the first time.  And exactly five years since they left Hogwarts for the last time. 

Hermione had started out in the Ministry of magic as the secretary to Robin Redroot, the Head of Magical Maladies department.  Now she was the head of one of the highest departments there were- The department of magical justice and rehabilitation.  She worked in this department with free reign, courtesy of her best friend Ron Weasley, newly elected Minister of Magic.  One of the youngest ever, in fact.  

So now the war with Voldemort was at a close.  The order of the Phoenix, a part of which Harry was very involved in, finally took down Voldemort.  Many had died.  Many had lived, but that's not what this story is about.  This is about one man who lived, and one woman strong enough to help him do it.

**_Here I stand alone   
with this weight upon my heart   
and it will not go away_**

****

Hermione rose from her place in the ministry section.  "Excuse me, please, your honor."  She grinned at the young face of Seamus Finnegan, who was the presiding judge over this particular case.  Hermione continued.  "As you know, my department deals with justice and rehabilitation, ands I have reason to believe that Draco Malfoy may be a candidate for my new program, designed specifically for young deatheaters."

The entire room looked over at the young witch, no doubt wondering what she had come up with.

"Is that so?"  Seamus asked, raising his eyebrow.  "Hermione, He has several counts against him, I'm afraid that unless you have strong evidence that can support your claim, He will have to be handed over to the Dementors."

The room gave an involuntary shudder, and Hermione closed her eyes

****

**_  
In my head I keep on looking back   
Right back to the start   
wondering what it was that made you change _**

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_"Hermione! Their coming! You have to get out **NOW!"  Draco screamed at Hermione, who was grabbing for her wand in the head boy and girls dormitory.  **_

_"I'm not leaving, Draco.  Not now."  She said defiantly.  "Their coming, and I'll be damned if I run."_

_Draco looked across the room at his lover, the fire he loved so much was burning brightly in his eyes.   "Alright."  He said.  "But please, don't stop me from doing what I have to do." _

_Hermione tilted her head.  "What do you mean?"_

_But Draco never got to answer, as he drew in a breath, the large wooden door blasted open, turning it into a pile of splinters._

_"Draco!"  Hermione screamed, as a group of deatheaters dressed in black poured in.  She saw them start firing the unforgivables at her, and watched as Draco took them down, one at a time.  She herself started screaming the infamous killing curse, taking them all down, blindly and without aiming, until there was just one left.  _

_Lucius Malfoy removed his hood from his platinum head, the same hair color Draco possessed, and aimed his wand at Hermione.  _

_But Hermione never felt the curse, she saw that Draco held his own wand, and watched as Lucius fell to the floor.  _

_"Draco?"  She asked in a small voice.  "Draco?"_

_"I have to go, Hermione."   Was all he said.  "Please don't stop me from doing what I have to do."_

_Hermione tried to reach out, but he was gone.  She still doesn't know how he did it._

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**_Well I tried   
but I had to draw the line   
and still this question keeps on spinning in my mind   
  
_**

Hermione relayed the story in front of the most influential of the wizarding world.  Harry Potter, Ginny and Ron Weasley, Katie Bell, Oliver Wood, to name a few.  They all were leaning in their seats, staring at her in rapt attention.  No one had heard this story before, not even Harry and Ron. All this time Hermione had kept it to herself, all the while wondering what would have happened if she had been just a little faster at grabbing for him.

****

**_  
What if I had never let you go   
Would you be the man I used to know   
If I'd stayed   
If you'd tried   
If we could only turn back time   
But I guess we'll never know _**

****

"But that still does not account for the charges against him."  Katie Bell's voice rang out.  "Even if he had been good that day, how can you stand before us and say that the charges should be dropped?  Hermione, you before anyone should remember that Draco Malfoy was behind one of the muggle attacks that killed your parents.  Surely you haven't forgotten?" 

Hermione closed her eyes for a single moment, traveling back to a truly dark past.  

_It was mid-November.  Hermione, Harry, and Ron had just graduated Hogwarts the previous June and were undergoing rigorous, emergency Auror training.  Hermione could still remember the smell or the crisp November leaves in the air, the smell of everything getting ready for the cold that was sure to come any day.   But instead of snow, a grey owl came, bearing the seal of the Minister, and a very impersonal letter stating the Grangers had been murdered in cold blood, and the murderer was still at large._

In the present, twenty two year old Hermione drew a breath and composed herself.  "My interests in this case are not to be effected by personal experiences, Katie.  Sacrifices are made in war,  I believe we all learned something about that."  Hermione said this with a strong voice, trying to deny any personal interests in Draco Malfoy, and it took every ounce of what little Slytherin she had in her to convince the council that this was not a personal case. But of course it was.  Hermione Granger was a personal woman, but no one knew of the relationship she and Draco had had at school, and if she was going to save his soul, she needed to keep it that way.

"Draco Malfoy."  Hermione began.  "Was a tool in the Dark Lord Voldemorts plans.  Raised by birth to believe only in what his father had taught him.  As you all know, dark spells and enchantments surrounded the Malfoy Manor, who's to say that spells and enchantments did now alter this mans life as well?  I remember nearly twenty five years ago when the Ministry's justice system was corrupt, and have proven myself time and time again to have only the future of the wizarding world in my best interests."  Hermione stopped and looked around the room.  Several heads where shaking in agreement, but others looked like they needed convincing.  Hermione then turned on all the knowledge she had been legend to process.

"There are roads in life."  She stated simply.  "Some of us,"  She looked over at Draco, who was returning her gaze, his silver eyes twinkling, as if he knew what she was going to say.  "Some of us, our roads are paved in gold, but they are also paved in gold just so that we may only follow it.  Others, have roads that we need to make ourselves that is what many of us had to do.  Many of you are graduates of Hogwarts, you remember what going to school there was like.  You had to make a name for yourself, show you deserved to be taught in one of the finest schools in the world, and you all did admiral jobs.  You had hard times, but you had good times as well, but what if you were doomed to follow a road that lead only to heart-ache and pain? Not too many of us can relate to that, because we had the good life, but not this man."

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**_  
  
Many roads to take   
some to joy   
some to heart-ache   
anyone can lose their way   
and if I said that we could turn it back   
Right back to the start   
would you take the chance and make the change _**

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_"One day I might have to take a road you don't agree with, Hermione."  Draco said, his head resting on his hand. _

_Hermione looked back at him, they were both laying in Draco's bed, fully clothed, and just talking.  _

_"I don't understand."  She said.  "There's always a choice, Draco, just make the right one."_

_Draco laughed bitterly.  "One thing you'll learn, Hermione,"  He said.  "Is that some people don't have a choice.  Their roads are paved in gold, but they will never have a choice, not up until it is far, far too late to ever go back."_

Hermione let a smile escape as she remembered.  As a seventeen year old girl, she didn't understand what Draco's metaphor had meant.  And now she was using it in his defense, in a fight to save his soul.    

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**_  
  
Do you think how it would have been sometimes   
Do you pray that I'd never left your side _**

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"My program rehabilitates former, young deatheaters, if they can make a case for themselves, or if another can."  Hermione looked up at the panel of her former classmates, its amazing what a couple of years can bring.  

"Sometimes."  Hermione continued.  "You have to make a choice.  You have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy.  It would be very, very easy for me to sit down right now and turn my head, pretending that I do not see this man in front of me.  It would be easy for me to let him be taken away for all the torment he put me though in school.  He introduced me to wizard prejudice, he introduced me a darker side of man.  Yes.  It would be easy to turn away, but it wouldn't be right.  It would not be right to deny this man a chance at redemption, because that's all life is, isn't it?  One long journey of redemption.  Draco Malfoy has never had a chance to live without an outside influence making him believe something else, but with my program, I can introduce him to a completely new life style, and a life h never could have imagined happening."

Hermione's eyes rested on each of her friends in turn, Harry, Ron, Seamus, Wood…they all looked at the woman they had all grown to love and admire.  Hermione Granger was never wrong, so why should she start now?

****

After some muttered discussion that Hermione could not pick up on, Seamus spoke to Draco directly.

"What do you have to say, in light of the judgment cast against you?"

Draco, instead of looking at Seamus, fixed Hermione with his eyes.  "Only God can judge me now."

This, aside from Dobby the house elf giving up clothes, was probably the most unexpected and completely bizarre thing that could have occurred.  It was general knowledge that old wizard families did now follow the muggle way of Christianity, and for the heir of one of the most powerful families, well, it was unheard of.

Hermione smiled on the inside, while keeping a straight, cool face to the public.  She was an avid Christian, and knew that her faith fascinated Draco when they were in school.

**_What if I had never let you go   
would you be the man I used to know _**

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_"Why did you never respond whenever I insulted you?"  Draco asked Hermione in a sincerely curious voice.  _

_They were sitting in front of a roaring fire in the head boy and girl dorms, talking about their past._

_"Only God can judge me."  Hermione said simply, puling out her crucifix necklace from under her blouse.  "Only one being can pass judgment upon me, and he has yet to say a word to me about my blood."_

_Draco took the necklace in his hand, fascinated.  "This is what muggles worship?"  He asked.  "Why?"_

_Hermione smiled, and thought for a minute, trying to put into words her faith._

_"You always need something to believe in."  She finally said.  "It can be anything, really, family, friends, anything..  I believe in God, because it is comforting to know someone is watching over me, and he keeps me safe.  I believe that when it is my time to go, there will be a reason, and until then, I live my life to the fullest.  While I breathe, I hope."_

_"That's beautiful."  Draco said, in an uncharacteristvly chocked up voice.  "Please, tell me more."_

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**_  
If I'd stayed   
if you'd tried   
if we could only turn back time   
But I guess we'll never know   
  
_**

More whispering and muttering was taking place in the high stands, as the officials debated on how to handle the Malfoy situation.  Hermione could see Harry and Ron, both with very distorted looks on their faces, as if fighting with an inner demon.  Finally-

"The high ministry hereby assigns Miss Hermione Granger full probation over Mister Draco Malfoy.  Hermione, you will show us that Draco Malfoy can become a changed man,  we release him into your capable custody.  Case dismissed.

**_  
If only we could turn the hands of time   
if I could take you back would you still be mine _**

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Hermione grinned to herself.  She knew she would win, no one ever argued with her when she was dedicated to something, well, except Malfoy.  But that was why she liked him so much, he made her think.

Hermione came down the stands and shuddered as a disappointed dementor glided away from her, she could swear that the being now had a vengeance against her, for she had robbed him of a meal.

The ministry guards came over to Hermione, Draco closely following.  One guard, who's name was Andy, gave Hermione a long stick, Draco's wand.  

"You may return this to him, when you deem him ready, Miss Granger."  Andy said with respect evident in his voice.  He handed over the wand.  

As Hermione watched their retreating backs, Draco walked up to her.

"I never knew you had it in you, Granger."  He said with a good natured smirk.  Hermione waved her wands and removed Draco's binds around his wrists.

"Yes you did."  Hermione said.  "But you will never admit that I will always be one up on you." She smiled, wishing she could kiss him right there, right in the open.

"You might be right."  Draco said.  "But I tell no lies.  Now, where is this rehabilitation center you were so avidly talking about?" 

Hermione gave him a sly grin.  "It is a very secluded place in the heart of the Caribbean, where there is only sun, water, and a very nice house built for two people."

"I missed you, Hermione."  Draco said suddenly.  "I hope you can forgive me for all I have put you through."  He looked at her with those huge gray eyes.

"I forgave you the moment I met you, Draco."  She replied, tears threatening her eyes.  "You gave me life, now I'm going to show you how to live."

**_  
What if I had never let you go   
Would you be the man I used to know   
What if I had never walked away   
'Cos I still love you more than I can say   
If I'd stayed   
If you'd tried   
If we could only turn back time   
But I guess we'll never know   
We'll never know_**

**__**

**_Take a risk, Dare to Move, Love is a leap of Faith_**


End file.
